Workman&#39;s safety belt



MMI 3, 1956 .L M. MoN-TGQMERY WORKMNS SAFETY BELT Filed June 2l, 1951 QW KN lul WORKMANS SAFETY BELT .lames M. Montgomery, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 21, 1951, Serial No. 232,724

2 Claims. (Cl. 227-49) This invention relates to a climbers belt, and more particularly to a belt for the use of linemen and others engaged in like climbing activities, which will form a more dependable tool carrier and at the same time will more eilciently safeguard the user against falls.

One object of the invention is to provide a tool holding belt that will not stretch as a result of long continued use and then as a consequence allow the tools to drop out. By this invention Hat, flexible steel is used in a more advantageous manner as a leather substitute, and also a chain is substituted for leather parts with the resulting advantage that the chain will slip more freely than leather on the pole being climbed, so that the workman can more readily move his body from side to side as is necessary in performing a linemans work.

Another obiect is to provide a belt structure fora linemans use that can be depended upon safely to carry all the tools he requires, making it unnecessary for a hoist man to accompany him and convey the tools up to him. This belt can also be advantageously used by that class of trainmen whose work requires that they climb cars.

By this invention a stronger, more durable linemans belt is provided, which will last approximately three times as long as belts now in general use.

Still another object is to provide a belt of the above stated kind which will not sag as a result of becoming moist and which, therefore, will function well in wet weather to support the required number and weight of tools and to maintain them in an easily withdrawable condition.

Yet another object is to provide an .improved combination of body girdling means, pole embracing chain and member carried by said body girdling means to detachably support the chain when not in use.

lt is also an object of the invention to provide as a new article of manufacture, a metallic belt portion securable to a linemans belt and equipped with a plurality of tool holding members adapted to carry, in a safe conveniently withdrawable manner, all the tools the lineman uses.

Gther objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred, reduced to practice embodiment of the invention,

Fig. l is an elevation of the belt in an extended condition, looking at the outer side thereof, the safety loop being shown semidiagrammatically in a pen-dant position.

Fig. 2 is a plan View looking downwardly lat the belt and safety loop as these structures would be contoured when in wearing position.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the metallic strip together with its accessories.

Figs. 4 and 5 are, respectively, cross sections on lines 4 4 and 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the linemans belt structure therein illustrated comprises a non-metallic (desirably leather) girdle 7, a metallic strip 8 which in its applied position is attached to and extends along the convex nited States Patent() Patented July 3, 1956 rice side of the back portion of said girdle when the latter is being worn, a plurality of tool holders designated 10 to 14 carried by said strip and spaced apart lengthwise thereof, a pole embracing chain 15, and certain :accessory parts presently to be described. Said tool holders are shown as a series of U-shaped metal loops which vary in size to accord with the type of tool carried individually by them, the end loops 10 and 14 by preference and as shown being the largest, and the series of intermediate loops 11, 12 and 13 progressively decreasing in size from one end of said series. Each of the tive loops shown has outwardly directed end flanges 16 through each of which passes a rivet 17 that secures the tool holders to the metallic strip 8 as well shown in Fig. 3.

Said metallic strip 8 is secured to the non-metallic girdle 7 by a series of paired upper rivets 19 and lower rivets 20, all of said rivets having flattened heads at their inner ends which suiciently indent the somewhat compressible material of the girdle 7 to be ush with the inner face thereof so as not to afford discomfort to the wearers. Said metallic strip is made of a band metal which is suiciently stili to prevent material torsional llexion when in use, and therefore it accurately holds the tools .in place.

Twin metallic loops 21 are riveted to the end portions of the metallic strip 8 and by means of each of these loops a D-shaped metal ring or link 22 is secured to said strip. Onto the arcuate side of each of said rings snaps a safety snap hook 23 provided with a spring-actuated swingablymounted guard member or tongue 24 which effectively guards against each hook becoming detached from its attaching link. The opposite end of each of said hooks is provided with a closed eye 26 to which is attached the adjacent terminal link of the aforementioned chain 15.

Near one end of the aforesaid metallic strip 8 a hook 30 is attached thereto, in an outwardly projecting position, by means of a base plate 31 to which said hook is welded or with which it is integral, rivets 32 passing through said base plate and through the underlying metal strip 8 over girdle 7. This hook is passed through one of the links of the chain 15 when the latter is not in use, to keep said chain from dangling around the legs of the lineman when he is climbing up or down a pole. Also said hook is usable to have connected to it the retainer valve used by trainmen in climbing cars.

The strap which forms the aforesaid leather girdle 7 has a buckle 33 attached to one of its ends to co-operate with the opposite end portion of said strap, which is provided with a conventional series of holes .34 which individually receive the tongue of said buckle.

I claim:

l. A belt structure for a lineman comprising a girdle formed of non-metallic, compressible material having ends and inner and outer sides, a convex strip composed of a metal band which is sufficiently stiff to prevent material torsional llexion when in use, said strip being disposed,

adjacent the outer side of said girdle between the ends thereof, a series of paired upper and lower rivets engaging said strip and said girdle so as to secure said strip and said girdle to one another, all of said rivets having attened heads located generally along the inner side of said girdle, all of said flattened heads being located within indentations formed within said girdle so as to be ilush with the inner face thereof, a series of spaced U-shaped metal loops, each of said loops having a pair of outwardly directed end flanges positioned against the side of said strip remote from said girdle, so that said loops extend outwardly from said girdle and strip, a rivet fitting through each of said end flanges and said strip so as to secure each of said loops to said strip at two spaced locations, a pair of identical metal loops attached to the ends of Said strip, by a plurality of rivets, a generally D-shaped link having an arcuate side held by each of said identical metal loops.

so that said arcuate sides project from said identical metal loops, a safety snap hook provided with a spring actuated guard member attached to each of said metal links so that said guard members serve to prevent accidental dislodgment of said hooks from said metal links, means dening a closed eye attached to each of said safety snap ho'ok's, a chain having a plurality of links,`including a pair of terminal links, each of said terminal links being attached to one of `said closed eyes, a hook having a base plate formed thereon, said base plate being disposed adjacent said st'rip on the side of said strip remote from said girdle and adjacent one end of said strip, said base plate being attached to saidpstrip, said hook being adapted to receive and hold any of the links of said chain, and

means for attaching the ends of said girdle to one an-A other to secure said girdle about a lineman, said means comprising a belt tongue having holes located therein formed on one end of said girdle and a buckle having a tongue adapted to tit within said holes attached to the other end Vof sai-d girdle.

2. A structure as dened in claim 1 wherein the end loops of said series of U-shaped metal loops are identical in size and are the largest loops of said series, and wherein the intermediate loops of said series progressively decrease in size from one end of said series to the other.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 852,623 Roth May 7, 1907 1,504,030 Dettweiler Aug. 5, 1924 1,721,516 Jacobs July 23, 1929 1,903,081 Wotherspoon Mar. 28, 1933 2,127,034 Kabat Aug. 16, 1938 2,149,803 Wight Mar. 7, 1939 2,302,642 Deike Nov. 17, 1942 2,628,749 Tyden Feb. 17, 1953 

